Cupid's Mistake
by Undying at Midsummer
Summary: Hermione Granger is a sucessful woman, with a life she loves. Except for one flaw - Draco Malfoy, and what used to be between them. She hasn't seen him for a year - what happens when he sees her on the streets? Chaos.
1. Introduction

**Cupid's Mistake**

"_When friendship once is rooted fast, it is a plant no storm can blast." _– From a 19th century calling card.

* * *

**A/N:** I've just written this fic, so I'm a bit nervous on how it's going to turn out. This chapter is very short and slow, but please wait people, it's just the Introduction. The next chapter will be longer, promise. And people who are also reading Married To a Malfoy, I'm not abandoning that one!

* * *

Hermione Granger dropped the letter she was sending to her aunt in the post bin, and took the chance to look at her surroundings.

It was early on a winter's day, and everything seemed smothered in a blanket of gray. Traces of snow still littered the ground, and the few people that were walking by were all wearing thick, winter coats, scarves and mittens.

Hermione took a deep breath, feeling strangely calm. Her breath came out as mist, and she happily watched it fade away.

It was a year since she graduated Hogwarts. She was now a very successful eighteen – going on nineteen – year old. So successful, in fact, that she had a leading job at the Ministry as an MoMS, which was the Muggle equivalent of a scientist. It was her holidays now though, and she was free of things hanging heavily on her mind, which to her, was a rare thing. Her job was very demanding, as she was one of the best MoMS's they had.

So, overall, she was a very happy young lady. There was just one flaw in her 'perfect' life – the fact that she did not have any boyfriend of a sort to love. She supposed it was the best thing after all – she could focus on her job – but she missed going to dinner on Friday nights, and such things.

_It's your own fault, you realize_.

The words of her best girlfriend, Ginny, haunted in her mind. But it was easy for Ginny to say – she was happily married to Hermione's other best friend, Harry Potter, and she was the sort of crazy, wild person who looked at all things optimistically. Hermione was quite the opposite – a pessimist.

But she'd been thinking on her friend's words for quite some time now, and she supposed that she was right. Hermione did have a boyfriend once. During the middle of her seventh and final year at Hogwarts she had met him, and soon afterwards, they'd started dating. Her friends had all been shocked – but quickly had gotten over it.

She had loved him so much. She now regretted her decision bitterly.

His name was Draco Malfoy.

She broke it off with him, even though she was sure that what she had felt was love. She had broken it off for a number of reasons. Because his Slytherin nature did show through, and she couldn't let Harry or Ron get within ten feet of him. She tried, and it ended up with Ron in hospital, and Draco and Harry each with a broken nose.

That reason alone would have been enough for her to break it off with him but deep down in her heart she felt it wouldn't work.

She regretted that now. Since then, she had not felt the same feeling for anyone as she'd felt for him. Every man she'd met since him never measured up – because she was subconsciously comparing them to Draco, and know one could measure up to Draco.

She'd broken it off with him at the end of her final year at Hogwarts. A year had passed, and she had not seen him since. She was reluctant to admit this, but she missed him. She knew now she'd met true love – and thrown it away.

Feeling the tears prick at the corner of her eyes, Hermione hastily wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, as snow was starting to fall again. She felt cross – seconds ago, there was not a breath of wind and everything was still and quiet. She bravely started to walk against the way the snow was falling, wincing as snow fell into her eyes at random and the cold wind whipped across her face.


	2. Cheesecakes and the Bachelor of the Year

**Cupid's Mistake**

_  
Friends stand there as a solid and impregnable bulwark against all the evils of life._ – Sydney Smith.

* * *

'I'll see you soon then, Hermione,' said Ginny from the other end of the phone.

'Okay, bye!' Hermione hung up, quivering with anticipation. She, Ron, Harry and Ginny were all having dinner together tonight at the Potter's home. Just like the old times she loved when they ate together every night underneath the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. A smile danced happily upon her lips.

Snatching her car keys from the kitchen bench, and expertly shouldering on her coat, Hermione slid into the seat of her car. The Potters lived amongst Muggles; therefore it was best to arrive Muggle fashion.

But before she got there, she stopped off in Diagon Alley. After locking her car, she set off towards a nearby cake shop, emerging from it with a decorative cheesecake, her and Ginny's favorite.

Humming contentedly to herself, she fumbled around in her bag, trying to find her car keys and balance the cake in her other hand. Then she felt the prickling feeling in the back of her neck.

Someone was watching her.

She glanced up, and amongst the thin crowd she spotted the culprit and she froze as his gray eyes locked with hers.

Shock splashed over her like a waterfall, but she quickly got over it. It was just her old boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, and she was just startled for she hadn't seen him in such a long time. Her eyes quickly surveyed him. He looked good tonight – he was wearing rather formal clothing, but when on him, they seemed casual. Her breath caught in her throat, for she had forgotten how handsome he was. Still dangerous, sly and handsome. She was uncomfortable aware of her heart rate speeding up.

He waved. She waved back, feeling dismayed as he weaved his way through the crowds towards her.

'Uh – D-Draco,' she said, attempting at a smile. 'Um, fancy seeing you here. So, er, how's it going?'

Draco shrugged. 'Pretty well. Well, except for the fact that Lucius died.' The words _and I inherited all his money_ was lost in the air.

'I'm sorry,' she said, not quite knowing what else to say. 'Er – Harry and Ginny got married, did you know?'

Something like anger flashed in his eyes. 'I had no idea.' Again, the words_ and like I cared_ hung in the air, unspoken.

'I have to go,' she said, making a quick escape. 'Ginny, Harry, Ron and I are having dinner.'

'How lovely. What's your phone number?'

She wasn't sure if that was the best idea, but it was clear he wasn't going to rest until she gave it to him. So, finding a pen in her bag, she scribbled her number onto his hand. Hopefully he wouldn't call.

'I'll see you then,' she said, turning to go.

He had different ideas, however. He grabbed her upper arm before she could turn. Staring into her eyes for a second, he cupped her face with a hand, leaned down and kissed her long and hard on the lips.

Protests rose up in her throat, and she was about to push him away, when she felt his hands around her waist and his tongue very abruptly in her mouth. A small moan escaped her lips, and her arms circled his neck of their own will. She found she was helpless to resist him.

He pulled away, his eyes full of triumph and lust. He kissed her neck. 'Still can't resist me, can you Granger?'

It was like her brain fast-forwarded several steps. Suddenly disgusted with herself for actually _enjoying_ his kiss, she angrily pushed him away. 'Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me?'

His eyes sparkled. 'I know you want me, Granger.'

'Shut up! I'm over you, _Malfoy_.' She slid into her car and started it.

'I'll call you, Hermione,' he said, a sly smile playing about his lips.

It was the next day when Harry showed up at her doorstep.

* * *

'Harry! Come in, come in.' It was unusual to have Harry, of all people, show up at her doorstep at seven in the morning.

They sat on Hermione's sofas; they were worn out things, and falling to bits. What had once been a rich sky blue was now a white, and there were big rips with stuffing leaking out. The stitching was sticking out and the springs creaked when the couch was sat upon – overall, she needed some new sofas. The only problem was MoMS were not well-thought of, or showered with riches like Aurors were, even though they had recently made a breakthrough, discovering a spell to undo an Imperius curse. Hermione didn't mind of course – she loved her job. But all the same...

Harry threw her a newspaper. 'It's the latest one; I picked it up this morning.'

Hermione picked it up, and at once the image on the front seared into her brain. 'Oh – abba – wibba – !'

Under the headlines _Bachelor of the Year Strikes Again!_ there was a very glossy picture of Draco and her snogging by her car. It was taken seconds before she had pushed him away.

'Shit,' she whispered. 'This is _not_ happening.'

Harry looked seriously at her face. 'You never mentioned that you met him, Hermione.'

'Yes, but – its nothing! We're not back together or anything like that, we just... met, you know?'

'Hmm. Did you purposely kiss him?'

'What – no! See, it was very sudden but I _did_ push him away and tell him it was nothing... I'll probably never see him again, alright?' she sighed.

'I think he wants something. Or more specifically, you. There's something going on here - I can feel it. Watch yourself, okay Hermione? You did break up with him for a reason.'

She found herself nodding, but now that she had received another taste of the addictive lust that was him, the reasons why she broke up with him seemed like nothing. To her, he was like an alcohol. Since she had broken up with him, she had started to break the habit. But now that she'd had another whiff of it again, the want came back full force, like it was being released after being caged for years.

Maybe if she just ignored Draco... this whole episode would just become another memory.

But she had no idea how very wrong she was.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is very slow, I know, but please wait for the next chapter before you judge it! My first chapters are always crap. Chapter Three is in Draco's POV and I promise it's good. Well, at least I think it is.... 


End file.
